Internet Science – Risk, Risk Perception, and Cyberwar

The rapid speed of computerization in all aspects of life renders us more and more dependent on elements of electronic infrastructure. At the same time, it opens up and widens a space of possible attacks on this backbone of our society. Direct impacts like power outages, water outages or even structural damage on critical systems are not the only consequences of possible attacks. Public reactions to this first level of events can ripple and cause a chain of instances that can even dominate and surpass the original problems. The comparably quick renewal cycle of technology provides an excellent opportunity to rapidly adapt to new technical aspects of security as well as discoveries in psychological and cultural research regarding the public perception of risk. This paper will utilize the Stuxnet cyber incident and its consequences to point out possible measures that could be incorporated in the design of future systems.